One of the great things about our focus on transparency at Buffer is that we get to help other people learn from our experiences. This time, we wanted to learn about the darkest moments of successful and famous entrepreneurs and what their lesson has been.

There is no substitute for diving into the key details of a new startup. Executives from large companies have sometimes long forgotten how to do this (“My people will contact your people to work out the details.”). Others hire consultants, or outsource much of the real work. These executives won’t survive long in a startup environment.

This start-up stuff is really hard, right? Are you starting to wonder whether yours will work? Is doubt creeping in? Are the conversations between you and your cofounder(s) moving from spirited to…weary? Do you find yourself just a little less focused than you were a few months ago?

The Founder Institute is the world's largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program, helping aspiring founders across the globe build enduring technology companies. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 50 countries, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 1,563 companies in 5 years. The company's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and build sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.